What’s Cook-N Chef, DFW’s first churrrasco truck, offers a menu of Latin-style meat items. (Courtesy of What’s Cook-N Chef)

In DFW, we have seen many different versions of the same types of food trucks. Several taco trucks, several pizza trucks, several hot dog trucks. All good trucks with good food. But I have spent months wondering why we do not have a larger variety of ethnic and regional cuisine. Things are changing now, and this month three of the five new trucks are new styles, based on cooking in other regions of the world.

What’s Cook-N Chef is DFW’s first churrrasco truck. The truck offers a menu of Latin-style meat items. Customers will have the option of grilled beef, pork or chicken sandwiches and churrrasco street tacos. What’s Cook-N Chef also offers fried plantains, which I am very excited to try. What’s Cook-N Chef had its first service last week in Keller and has plans to be back next week. You can follow the truck on Facebook and Twitter to find out where else it will be operating.

via facebook.com

Little Greek Food Truck is DFW’s first Greek food truck. About two months after I started this blog, I posted on Facebook and asked when there would be a Greek truck. It has taken 17 months for one to roll out, while I and many other Greek food lovers have waited patiently. This truck will be serving many of the favorites found in Greek restaurants: pitas, chicken skewers, Greek salad, hummus, spanakopita, baklava. You can follow Little Greek Food Truck onFacebook and Twitter to find out where its next stop will be.

Fernando Ortega and his Empanada Armada are ready to set sail. (Courtesy of Empanada Armada)

Empanada Armada brings what I think is quintessential street food — empanadas — to DFW. Truck owner Fernando Ortego tells me that the signature Empanada will be made with beef. The menu will also include empanadas made with chicken, ham and cheese, spinach and cream cheese. If all of this was not enough, there will be a dessert, alfajor, which is a South American cookie sandwich and sounds amazing. You can follow Empanada Armada on Facebook and Twitter to find out where and when it will be serving its South American inspired menu.

I love food trucks with catchy names, and the next two are among my favorites.

B.L.T.’s Red Hot Cheesy Pepper: Wright Brand Peppered Bacon, melted pepper jack cheese, grilled beefsteak tomato, chipotle relish served on cheddar grilled fresh-baked bread from La Spiga Bakery. (Courtesy of B.L.T.)

B.L.T.N stands for Bacon Lover’s Truck. (Courtesy of B.L.T.)

The Bacon Lover’s Truck (B.L.T) is now operating in and around Dallas. The truck uses Wright Bacon to make specialty sandwiches. How does a “Morning Glory”, with fried egg and bacon, or “Red Hot Cheesy Pepper” with pepper jack cheese, Wright Peppered Bacon, grilled tomato and chipotle relish sound? Both of these are on the daily special menu. The weekly pecial menu has items like “Honey & Nuts” with brown sugar bacon, peanut butter and honey. There are many other menu items, with a bacon sandwich to fit any taste. You can follow the B.L.T. on Facebook and Twitter.

via facebook.com

Gorgonzilla is Fort Worth’s newest grilled-cheese truck. I have to admit, I don’t know anything about this truck other than to say that it has parked at both Fort Worth food-truck parks in the past two weeks. The owners have not been actively posting on Facebook or Twitter, and all I know about the menu is that they serve grilled cheese. Hopefully in the coming days and weeks I will learn more and they will have a more visible social media presence. You can follow Gorgonzilla on Facebook and Twitter.

I’m excited about these new trucks and the new types of food they are bringing to the Metroplex.

http://www.dfw.com/2013/03/04/762954/new-food-trucks-rolling-out-for.html

A little piece of Naples, Italy joined the DFW Metroplex on September 19 when Gennarino’s a Neapolitan style friggitoria rolled out on the streets of Irving Texas.  Owned and operated by the Ranieri brothers who moved to the US only a few years ago, the truck sell sandwiches and fried items using the same recipes and cooking styles as the street vendors of the South Italy city.

Gennarino’s menu is a mix of classic Italian items such as lasagna, eggplant parmigian and caprese sandwich but also introduces customers to Neapolitan favorites of handheld spaghetti, handheld fettuccine and several variations of zeppole, small pieces of dough that can be filled with potato or covered with dessert toppings. The specialty of the truck is a fried pizza topped with tomato sauce and homemade mozzarella cheese. Of course no trip to an authentic Neapolitan truck would be complete without a custom made Italian Soda.

Adding to the cultural experience of a visit to Gennarino’s is the hand painted artwork on each side of the truck. Gennarino’s logo reflects the city of Naples; the first “N” is the same logo as the Naples soccer team, the “I” is a corniciello or horn that is the symbol of good luck and the last “O” represents the sun that shines over Naples. Each of the pieces of art on the back side of the truck also represents Naples with a painting of Pulcinella, a figure in Neapolitan theater, Mount Vesuvius the active volcano that sits next to Naples and San Gennaro, the patron Saint of Naples, for whom the truck is named.  To further honor Saint Gennaro, Gennarino’s grand opening was scheduled for the same day that St. Gennaro festivals are held in Italian communities around the world.

Rafaele Ranieri’s vision is to create a piazza, or central meeting place at each location where his truck sets us service; a place where friends and family can meet to share a meal, visit and take a few moments to enjoy their day. Based on the number of groups arriving at the opening, he is on track to accomplishing that. At the same time, with the Neapolitan food, artwork and music playing, for a brief time diners are taken to out of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and transported to beauty and life of Naples.

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